1. A Changing Culture Essential Questions: Do Now: Homework:
Why did many German and Irish immigrants travel to the United States in the mid-1800s?
What was the overall message of the Second Great Awakening, and how did it affect American society?
How did writings of this time reflect American society?
Do Now:
Answer the questions on the board in your notebook.
Homework:
Lesson 3: Reforming Society pg. 171

2. Americans’ Ancestry

3. Push Factors for Immigration
Reasons why someone would want to LEAVE their home country
War, religious or political persecution, overcrowding, poverty, lack of jobs

4. Pull Factors for Immigration
Qualities about US that attract people TO America
Jobs, chance for wealth, religious and political freedom, cheap land, chance to start over, adventure

5. Immigrants in US 1820s – 500,000 1840s – 2,500,000 1850s – 2,700,000
Immigrants by decade
1820s – 500,000
1840s – 2,500,000
1850s – 2,700,000

6. Irish Potato Famine Potatoes were main source of food for Irish
Disease killed most potatoes between
Resulted in famine
Millions of Irish left for US

7. Irish in America Settled mostly in cities – Boston or New York
Some worked on canals or railroads
Faced tremendous prejudice

8. Germans in America Famine and Napoleonic wars caused immigration
Came to escape dictatorship in Austria
Many moved to mid-west on farms

9. Second Great Awakening
In the early 1800s, many church leaders worked to revive Americans’ commitment to religion
Second Great Awakening
New religious groups emerged
Unitarians,
Universalists
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Some Americans in the 1830s concluded that society had corrupted human nature
solution was to separate from society and form a utopia.
Shakers, a utopian religious group, believed in social and spiritual equality for all members.

10. New Religious Groups And Communities
Unitarians and Universalists: Unitarians believed Jesus was a great teacher but not the son of God. Universalists rejected the idea of hell.
Mormons: Followers of Joseph Smith believed God is coming and that they should prepare his kingdom.
Shakers: Shakers believed in communal life and spiritual equality. Their community could only grow through converts.
Utopians: In “utopian” communities, individuals owned no private property.

11. American Ideal
Americans saw themselves as an example for the world to follow
Wanted to create ideal society
Religious Revivals
Unitarians, Shakers, Millerites
Charles Finney
Revival preacher inspired need to save souls
Charles Finney

12. Transcendentalists Believed people needed to understand themselves
Truths “transcend” human understanding
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Poet and philosopher
Ralph Waldo Emerson

13. Transcendentalists Henry David Thoreau Lived on Walden Pond
Wrote Essay on the Duty of Civil Disobedience
Inspired Gandhi, MLK and others
Argued against slavery